Peer support groups

Volunteer as a peer support facilitator

​We understand that students are often the first source of support for their peers and many students want to know how to appropriately support others. Since 2008 we’ve supported young people to offer encouragement to fellow students experiencing the challenges of university life, through structured peer support groups. Our groups are facilitated by trained student volunteers who ensure the conversations remain supportive and safe. These group facilitators are core to our organisation and by volunteering with Student Minds you’ll be at the forefront of our work to help improve student mental health.

Volunteering as a group facilitator will give you a unique opportunity to develop your skills, make a difference at university, boost your CV and gain experience in the field of mental health. You will receive comprehensive training and ongoing support to ensure you feel knowledgeable, confident and skilled to deliver suitable and effective peer support on your campus.

Positive Minds is a six week course for students experiencing low mood or mild depression. Our facilitators run through a course booklet to structure the sessions with topics such as building a support network, establishing healthy routines and relaxation techniques.

Eating Difficulty Groups​These support groups provide support and encouragement to students experiencing eating difficulties or struggles with body image, to help them keep motivated through recovery. We offer both an unstructured support group and a six week structured course ‘Motivate Me’ for facilitators to run.

What support does Student Minds give?

​All peer support facilitators receive ongoing support from Student Minds from supervision sessions after each group session you run, to e-learning modules for you to remain secure in the knowledge, confidence and skills to run the groups, to access to our Volunteer Hub with online resources such as how to guides, templates, downloadable event packs and more.